'Pocket dialing' has consequences for 911 dispatchers, police

A person sits down, and the cellphone in their pocket dials a friend or family member. The inadvertent caller goes about their business, unaware that the friend on the other end of the line can hear what they're doing. Now imagine that instead of a friend, you "pocket dial" or "butt dial" 911.

“If you accidentally dial 911, stay on the line. 'Hey sorry, just put my phone away.' We've all done pocket dials, not necessarily to 911. Stay on the line so we can try and verify that and we don't have to track you down.”

Pat is a veteran police and courts reporter for the Deseret News and KSL and has covered some of the biggest stories in Utah for the past two decades. He is a graduate of Michigan State University with a BA in journalism.